Ashley Sterne

“ We are not taught to think imperially at a sufficiently early age. We are expected to take an interest in Imperial affairs at times when we have all our work cut out to get our work out. It is impossible for a man to give his mind to such a question as, for example, Colonial Preference, when his whole mental equipment is called upon to decide whether violet socks clash or harmonize with green Harris tweeds.
But if from the earliest days we are taught more about modern history and less about ancient, such questions would cause us scarcely any difficulty. ”

“ But what, I ask, does the average man know of our more modern history? I’ll willingly stake your last half-crown that if I were to stop the first man I met in the street and ask him to tell me the cause of the Chartist Riots, he would unhesitatingly reply, “Lloyd George.” We take it for granted that so long as we can give within two places of decimals the dates of England’s stop-press news, we are at liberty to let the rest of the fruit go bad. ”

“ This Saturday is Empire Day, the day when some of England’s youth may attempt to paint the town red in celebration of the even more noteworthy endeavours of our Empire-builders to dye the map a similar hue. ”